Telangana cabinet approves phase 2 of Dalit Bandhu; 4 lakh houses under Gruha Lakshmi scheme

Under this scheme, the government will award a grant of Rs 3 lakh to each of its beneficiaries to build a house on their own land. As many as 3,000 houses are proposed to be built in each of the 119 Assembly segments. Additionally, 43,000 houses will be sanctioned under the state quota.

A press statement by the Chief Minister’s Office underlined that the government will deposit the grant in the name of its women beneficiaries, where Rs 1 lakh will be deposited into their accounts in three installments. A sum of Rs 12,000 crore has been allocated in the budget for this scheme.

Further, the cabinet clarified that the construction and distribution of houses under the Double Bedroom Housing scheme will continue in addition to the Gruha Lakshmi scheme.

The implementation of the Dalit Bandhu scheme, which was launched in August 2021, has been completed in the Huzurabad Assembly segment which saw a bye-election in November 2021, said a statement by the government.

“In the remaining 118 constituencies, the cabinet decided to extend the Dalit Bandhu benefit to 1,100 people in each constituency. Dalit Bandhu will be implemented for a total of 1,29,800 families in this phase. The responsibility of selecting another 200 beneficiaries has been entrusted to the state Chief Secretary. A total of 1,30,000 families will be provided with Dalit Bandhu scheme benefits. District Collectors will select the beneficiaries,” the statement added.

Other Cabinet decisions

The state government also ratified the decision to construct guest houses at Varanasi and Sabarimala for the pilgrims in Telangana, sanctioning Rs 25 crore each for this purpose. A group of ministers, led by the state Chief Secretary, is scheduled to visit Kashi for site selection.

The cabinet also decided to unveil the 125-feet Dr BR Ambedkar statue near Hussainsagar lake on his birth anniversary on April 14, with a public meeting also scheduled on the occasion.